TempoLife › Nutrition & fitness glossary › REM sleep
REM sleep
The dreaming stage, important for memory and mood, concentrated late in the night.
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the stage where most vivid dreaming happens. The brain becomes highly active — close to its waking state — while the body's muscles are temporarily switched off, which stops you acting out dreams.
It plays a large role in consolidating memory, processing emotion and regulating mood. REM periods lengthen through the night, so most of your REM sleep sits in the last few hours before waking — which means cutting your night short trims REM specifically, not sleep evenly.
Alcohol and some medications suppress REM, and you often "rebound" with extra REM the following night. As with deep sleep, the reliable lever is total sleep at a steady schedule rather than trying to target REM directly through any trick or supplement.
Frequently asked questions
REM sleep?
The dreaming stage, important for memory and mood, concentrated late in the night. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the stage where most vivid dreaming happens. The brain becomes highly active — close to its waking state — while the body's muscles are temporarily switched off, which stops you acting out dreams.
